Apparatus for filling containers with liquid



1969 A. EQNICHOYLLS 3,

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed March 20, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l 12 r 13 v a, 1O 1i; 4 fa s: 1o 4: it 1* |5 14 23 15 16 18 1 Oct. 28, 1969 A. E. NICHOLLS APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed March 20, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheetz v 3,474,835 APPARATUS 50R FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed larch 20, 1967 A. E. NICHOLLS Oct.v 28, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet :5 I

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w nm aw k.v|v K 1| 1 m 1': cw 7 5 O I ii v25. 7 1 3 3 1 APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed larch 20, 1967 28,!969 A. E. NICHOLLS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 APPARATUS FOR. FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Arthur E. Nicholls, 21 Ferndown, Emerson Park, Hornchurch, Essex, England Filed Mar. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 624,268 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 24, 1966, 13,089/ 66 Int. Cl. B65b 31/02 U.S. Cl. 14159 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container filling apparatus in which a stream of liquid is converted by a frusto-conical spreader to a substantially unbroken radial stream flowing to the wall of the container and including vent ports above and below the radial stream. A sleeve valve selectively covers and uncovers the stream and ports.

This invention relates to apparatus for filling containers, particularly bottles, with liquid.

The type of apparatus with which the invention is concerned is that in which the manual or automatic presentation of the container to the apparatus is accompanied by the actuation of valve mechanism that permits the liquid to flow into the container while air escapes therefrom. The invention is applicable to various forms of filling apparatus and is very conveniently applied to gravity-vacuum fillers, that is to say fillers in which air is positively evacuated from the container prior to the entry of the liquid. However, the invention is equally applicable to simple gravity fillers.

An object of the invention is to provide mechanism for filling containers at a high volumetric rate of flow but with minimum foaming, while achieving accurate filling levels.

According to the invention, valve mechanism for filling containers is furnished with a spreader arranged to be located at the top of a container, at or close to the centre thereof, and shaped so as to convert a stream of liquid fed to it axially into a substantially undivided, or unbroken, radially flowing stream that meets the container wall circumferentially near the top and then flows down the wall, means for supplying the stream of liquid to the spreader, means for arresting and releasing the radially flowing stream, and means for equalizing the air pressure above and below the radially flowing stream. Thus, the stream is converted into a thin film that clings to the container wall, so that foaming is greatly reduced, but without reduction of the volumetric rate of flow. An air outlet port may be provided beneath the spreader and, in the case of gravity-vacuum filling, this is used for the initial reduction of air pressure in the container before the liquid flow begins. A second port is preferably provided just above the spreader, not only to augment the quick initial removal of air in gravity vacuum filling, but also to equalize the pressure above and below the radially flowing stream.

Very advantageously, the valve action is effected by an axially movable sleeve that slides over a valve body formed with the sprea'der and with the aforesaid two ports. In one position, the sleeve closes both ports as United States Patent 3,474,835 Patented Oct. 28, 1969 well as cutting off the liquid flow from the spreader. In a second position, the sleeve allows the liquid to flow into the container as well as opening the two ports. So that the second or upper port shall not interfere with the undivided, or unbroken, stream flowing radially from the spreader, it is formed in a portion of the valve body shaped so that the liquid can flow round this portion without entering the port, and so that the liquid stream becomes circumferentially complete on the spreader.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, constructions in accordance therewith will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section through bottle filling apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation, shown in vertical section, of a valve assembly as used in the apparatus of FIGURE 1, the valve being shown closed;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional side elevation of the assembly of FIGURE 2, the valve being shown open;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV in FIG- ure 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section on the line VV in FIG- URE 3, and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing a modified construction.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the liquid to be received by the bottles is contained in a tank 1 having a cover 2 sealed in position by an elastic band 3 that prevents entry of air. The liquid is maintained practically constantly at a level 4 by the action of a float 5 which controls a valve (not shown) that determines the fiow through a supply pipe 6. A vacuum is maintained at a few inches of mercury above the level 4 by a vacuum pump connected to a pipe 7. A number of filling valve assemblies 8 are fixed to the bottom of the tank 1 and each of these is furnished with an air return tube 9 that rises above the level 4. Bottles B to be filled are raised by automatically actuated jacks (not shown) into engagement with the assemblies 8, and, after filling, are lowered to make way for further bottles to be filled.

Each valve assembly 8 includes a body 10 secured to the base of the tank 1 with an intervening gasket 11 in register with an opening 11a through which liquid can pass from the tank into the upper end of the body 10 and thence through ports 13 in a member 12 screwed into an internal flange 24 in the body 10. The air return tube 9 is fixed to the ported member 12 as also is a narrower bore tube, namely a vent tube 14, that provides a downward extension of the tube 9 and carries at its lower end a valve body 15 having a bulbous end 15a and described in detail below. Also extending downwards from the ported member 12 is a wider bore tube, namely a filling tube 16, the lower end 17 of which lies just above the valve body 15 and the upper end of which is in communication with the ports 13, so that liquid can pass from the tank 1 downwards between the vent tube 14 and fill-ing tube 16.

The parts of the valve assembly so far described all remain stationary with respect to the tank 1, but slidably mounted on the outside surface of the lower portion of the filling tube 16, which has a reduced wall thickness, is a sleeve 18 carried by a slide 19 also slidably mounted on the filling tube 16. When the valve is closed, as shown on the left side of FIGURE 1 and in FIGURE 2, the lower edge of the sleeve 18 bears on a seating in the form of an annular rubber cushion 20 on the bulbous end 15a, contact being maintained by a compression spring 21 interposed between the slide 19 and flange 24 in the body 10. To open the valve, the top of a bottle neck 22 (FIGURE 1), as it is raised for filling, is pressed against a rubber seal 23 on the base of the slide 19, and raises the sleeve 18 against the action of the spring 21 until the lower edge of the sleeve 18 is in the position shown on the right side of FIGURE 1 and in FIGURE 3. At this point, the movement is stopped by the engagement of the slide 19 with the internal flange 24 on the body 10.

Referring now to the valve body 15 in greater detail, it will be seen that above the cushion 20, this is formed with a cylindrical portion of reduced diameter, through which passes a horizontal passage 25 providing a port for the lower end of the vent tube 14. Just above this port, the valve body 15 is formed with a frusto-conical spreader 26 having a concave curved surface which, when the valve is open, deflects the liquid flowing downwards in the filling tube 16 into a complete, hollow, conical stream that engages the bottle neck round its circumference, and then clings to the surface and flows down the wall of the shoulder and body of the bottle, filling the bottle with negligible tendency to foam. This stream constitutes a hollow envelope as shown by chain lines L in FIGURE 1. It will be seen that the outer circumference of the valve body 15 is equal to the inner circumference of the sleeve 18. Also conforming to the inner circumference of the sleeve 18, is the radially outermost face of a lateral projection 27, in the uppermost portion of the valve body 15. This projection is formed with a slot 28 providing a port between the interior of the vent tube 14 and the said face.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the top and underneath surfaces of the projection 27 taper to narrow edges. These ensure that the liquid flows smoothly down over the projection 27 and that the hollow conical stream descending from the valve body 15 is not split or divided in the vicinity of the projection 27. In fact, the liquid adheres to the lateral surfaces of the lower V-shaped taper of the projection 27.

In operation, a bottle rising to be filled engages a member 29 (FIGURES 2 and 3) that has an internal conical passage, fixed to vertical pins 30 guided by bearings in the body 10, and is centered by the member 29 with respect to the axis of the valve body 15. The member 29 is lifted as the bottle continues to rise and keeps it centered throughout the filling process.

As soon as the bottle neck engages the seal 23 and separates the sleeve 18 from the cushion 20, the reduced atmospheric pressure in the top of the tank 1 is applied through the air return tube 9, the vent tube 14 and the port 25 to the interior of the bottle so as to evacuate the bottle, liquid that may previously have collected in the tubes 9, 14 being sucked back into the tank 1 in the process. During this movement, the seal 23, under the action of the spring 21, tightly seals the top of the bottle neck so that no air can enter. An annular seal 31 between the slide 19 and the filling tube 16 prevents the leakage of any ambient atmospheric air between the filling tube 16 and sleeve 18 into the bottle. Continued raising of the sleeve 18 enables the evacuation to be augmented through the slot 28 and, by the time the sleeve 18 has reached the uppermost position (FIGURE 3), the pressure in the bottle has been reduced substantially to that in the top of the tank 1, assuming that the bottle is not cracked or broken. The pressure conditions are now, therefore, such that the liquid can flow under gravity into the bottle, through the ports 13, between the filling tube 16 and vent tube 14, and over the spreader 26. The spreader 26 ensures that the linear component of velocity in the axial direction remains reasonably low without limiting the volumetric rate of flow.

The remnant of air in the bottle is expelled by the liquid and passes through the port 25 and tubes 14, 9. This air cannot pass through the slot 28, Which is shrouded by the conical stream of liquid flowing from the spreader 26. Moreover, liquid cannot fiow into the slot 28 because the sleeve 18 still overlaps the top part of the projection 27 (FIGURE 3) and the projection 27 projects radially outwards far enough practically to make contact with the sleeve 18. However, the slot or port 28 ensures that the air pressure above and below the hollow conical stream of liquid flowing between the spreader 26 and the bottle neck is equalised.

When the liquid rises above the port 25, the liquid flow is no longer such that the slot 28 is shielded so that the remnant air continues to escape, but now through this slot 28. Thus, the liquid continues to rise up to the end of the sleeve 18, but goes no higher because the air trapped between the sleeve 18 and the bottle neck cannot escape. However, liquid still continues to flow down the filling tube 16 and then through the ports 25, 28 and up the vent tube 14. If allowed suflicient time, this liquid will rise up the air return tube 9 to the level 4.

The bottle is now lowered followed by the seal 23 and slide 19 under the action of the spring 21, until the end of the sleeve 18 again engages the cushion 20. The descent of the bottle continues until it is clear of the apparatus and is removed by known means. The partial vacuum in the tank 1, the cushion 20 and the seal 31 prevent the escape of the liquid trapped in the sleeve 18 and the tubes 16, 14, 9. When the next bottle is presented for filling, it is important that the evacuation of air should begin as quickly as possible. For this reason the port 25 is located so as to become effective as soon as the sleeve 18 begins to rise from the cushion 20.

It will be seen that the ported member 12, screwed into the internal flange 24 of the body 10, is formed with a flange 32 that bears on the flange 24 with an intervening gasket 34. The vent tube 14 is formed near the top with a shoulder 35 that bears on an internal shoulder in the member 12, the two shoulders being held together by a sleeve 36, carrying the tube 9, which is screwed onto the top of the vent tube 14 and bears on the member 12 with an intervening gasket 37. A pin 33 (FIGURE 3), fixed in the member 12, bears on a flat on the tube 14 so as to prevent this tube from turning about its axis. Radial fins 38 on the vent tube 14 centre it in the filling tube 16 (FIGURES 3 and 4).

It will be seen that the length of vent tube 14 protruding beneath the sleeve 18, when the valve is open, is very small. Therefore, as the valve closes and the bottle is removed, very little displacement of the liquid in the bottle takes place.

The radius of the concave curved surface of the spreader 26 is chosen to give the best angle at which the liquid is spread, having regard to the shape of the bottle being filled. Different radii are chosen for difierent bottles or other containers.

For a given valve assembly, the filling level is determined by the thickness of the seal 23, and can be readily adjusted by the use of seals of ditferent thicknesses. For example, seals 23 consisting of three rubber discs are shown in FIGURE 1, while only one such disc is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

When the apparatus is used for simple gravity filling, without the application of reduced pressure above the surface 4, separate means are provided for evacuating liquid from the vent tubes 14 and air return tubes 9 after each filling operation. However, as this evacuation takes place while the valve is closed by the sleeve 18, each valve 15 is furnished, beneath the cushion 20, with a small spring loaded valve that opens when the pressure in the vent tube 14 decreases to a predetermined value.

The majority of the parts of the valve assembly are made of stainless steel but to'avoid rubbing contact between two stainless steel parts, the slide 19 and the integral sleeve 18 are made of the material known under the registered trademark Delrin. However, in the modification of FIGURE 6, the slide 19 and sleeve 18 are made of stainless steel but the slide 19 is fitted with an internal sleeve 39 of polytetrafluoroethylene (having a toughening filler), that slides on the filling tube 16. In this case the seal 31 is interposed between the sleeve 39 and an internal shoulder on the slide 19. A cylinder 40 fits the outside of the slide 19 and is formed with an internal flange 41, that bears on top of the sleeve 39, and with an external flange 42, on which bears the lower end of the spring 21.

In practice, the tank 1 (FIGURE 1) with say a dozen valve assemblies distributed round its base, together with the same number of jacks for raising and lowering the bottles, may be mounted on a continuously revolving support, so that each bottle may be picked up at one point from, for example, a straight line conveyor, and then carried round while being raised, filled and lowered to be discharged in time for the jack to receive another bottle at the said point.

I claim:

1. A mechanism for filling containers, including means for receiving a stream of liquid, and valve means for arresting and releasing the stream of liquid, a spreader shaped to receive the stream of liquid axially and having an edge shaped to deliver the said stream of liquid into a substantially undivided, radially flowing stream that meets the container wall circumferentially and then flows down the wall of the container, and vent means for equalizing the air pressure above and below the said edge of the spreader and hence above and below the radially flowing stream, said vent means including a first port above the edge of the spreader and a second port below the edge of the spreader stream, both of said ports being arranged such that they do not interrupt the said substantially undivided radially flowing stream, and said valve means being arranged with respect to said spreader and said ports, for movement between at least three positions including a first position whereat the valve means closes both the first and second ports and arrests the stream, a second position whereat the valve means opens at least one of the ports to vent the container while concurrently arresting the stream from flowing past the spreader and a third position whereat the valve uncovers both said ports to vent the container and said stream is received and converted by said spreader.

2. Mechanism according to claim 1, in which the spreader is a frusto-conical unit having a concave curved surface which deflects liquid flowing downwards around its centre into a complete, hollow, conical stream.

3. Mechanism according to claim 2 in which the spreader is mounted around a vent tube through which air may be evacuated through said ports from said container, the said first and second ports are located above and below the portion of the spreader at which the radially flowing stream is formed.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3, in which the means for receiving the stream of liquid comprises a filling tube terminating concentrically above the spreader, and in which the valve means for arresting and releasing the radially flowing stream include a reciprocable sleeve on the filling tube to be moved into and out of engagement with a seating beneath the spreader.

5. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the said first port is above the spreader and beneath the filling tube in a projection extending radially from the vent tube substantially to the path of the wall of the reciprocable sleeve, the projection being shaped so as not to disrupt the shape of the substantially undivided radially flowing stream, and the sleeve being arranged so as to prevent the entry of iiquid into the said first port when liquid is flowing down the filling tube and over the spreader.

6. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the reciprocable sleeve is mounted on slide means arranged to be raised by a container being positioned for filling, so as to expose the said ports, thereby enabling the container to be evacuated, and provide a free path for the radially flowing stream.

7. A bottle filling machine including a tank arranged to be kept filled to a predetermined level, and including a mechanism according to claim 3 attached to the bottom of the tank, and an air return tube leading from the vent tube to a point above the said level.

8.- The mechanism of claim 9 wherein said spreader is frusto-conical and wherein said vent means includes a body having an axial air vent passage closed at one end, a lateral port communicating with the vent passage and located beyond the wide end of the spreader at which the laterally flowing stream is formed, and a lateral projection on the other side of the wide end of the spreader extending radially substantially to the radius of the said wide end, the lateral projection being formed internally with a further port leading from the outer end of the projection to the-vent passage, and externally so as to enable the spreader to deliver a substantially undivided radially flowing stream.

9. Apparatus for filling containers including a filling tube for delivering liquid under gravity to a container, a vent tube concentrically mounted in said filling tube and projecting beyond its outlet end, a spreader surrounding the projecting end of said vent tube and shaped to receive a stream of liquid flowing from said filling tube and to convert it into a substantially undivided radially flowing stream adapted to meet a container wall circumferentially and then flow down the wall, said vent tube being formed with means providing ports leading into said vent tube and respectively located above and below the portion of said spreader at which the radially flowing stream is formed, so as to equalize the pressure above and below the radially flowing stream, and valve means comprising a sleeve mounted to reciprocate relatively to said vent tube and to engage a valve seating fixed to said vent tube and located below the lowermost one of said ports, said sleeve being adapted to open said valve means when said valve seating and said spreader are inserted into the upper end of a container, first of all putting the container into communication with said vent tube through said lowermost port and, after some further relative movement of said sleeve, to permit liquid to flow over said spreader into the container.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 said spreader being a frusto-conical unit having a concave curved surface which deflects liquid flowing downwards around its center to a complete, hollow, conical stream.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the said port above said spreader is formed in a projection extending radially from said vent tube substantially to the path of the wall of said reciprocable sleeve, said projection being shaped so as not to disrupt the shape of the substantially undivided radially flowing stream, and said sleeve being arranged so as to prevent the entry of liquid into said port above the spreader when liquid is flowing down said filling tube and over said spreader.

12. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the top and underneath surfaces of said projection taper to narrow edges.

13. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said sleeve is fixed to an actuating means arranged to be engaged by and raised by the container when the container is placed in filling position thereby raising said sleeve to open said ports and permit the flow of liquid, said actuating means being formed to seal the top of the container.

14. A bottle filling machine including a tank, means enabling the tank to be kept filled to a predetermined level, and means enabling reduced air pressure (relatively to the ambient air pressure) to be maintained above the liquid level in the tank, and including the apparatus ac- 7 8 cording to claim 9 attached to the bottom of the tank and 2,809,677 10/ 1957 Hamner v 14159 an air return tube leading from said vent tube to a point 3,263,711 8/ 1966 Laub 141-59 X above said level.

References Cited HOUSTON S. BELL, JR., Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 US CL 1,779,879 10/1930 Hauger et a1 141-295 X 141-286, 295

2,679,347 5/1954 Franz Y 141295 X 

